The invention relates to a process and a device for accessing and analysing body fluids. More particularly, it relates to an implantable device for providing access to the interior of the body and for providing for detecting the concentration and/or existence of substances in body fluids, wherein the device provides a vehicle for both delivery of substances into the body and for analysing of body fluids. The invention encompasses various embodiments wherein the body fluids may be analysed in situ, or partially or completely extracted or aspirated for analysis.
A number of procedures exist in medicine for detecting the concentration and/or existence of substances in body fluids. When testing for blood sugar concentration, for instance, there is the option on the one hand of piercing the patient's skin, such as on a finger, for testing the blood sugar content of blood drawn in this manner. Virtually any intercellular fluid may be examined in many different ways and for different characteristics using a selected “test strip” after such a fluid has been obtained. Another piercing procedure involves piercing the skin with needles for introducing and/or retrieving a sensor at a test point in the body.
However, a severe disadvantage or drawback of such invasive techniques is that they are generally unpleasant experiences to the patient. Another related drawback is that a piercing may be required for each desired test, and such piercings may be frequent and repeated. In addition, needle-type sensors will fail due to being affected and/or rejected by the body after a very short time (approximately half a day).
Non-invasive techniques, for instance detecting said concentration by fluoroscopic methods, have not yet been adequately developed to obtain sufficiently accurate values.
Port bodies, implanted subcutaneously or percutaneously and used for administering drugs through tubular channels, are known from at least U.S. Pat. No. 5,306,255 and EP 0 302 076.